The Moon Will Wake Me Up
by Eugene Fitzsomething
Summary: Human AU. Jack Frost is lonely, sullen. His mischievousness has disappeared and there isn't a wisp of joy left in his life. Thoughts are turning dark, actions turning austere. But will a passionate artist, unruly archer and awkward fishbone show him that life isn't so bad? That friends will always be there? That everything happens for a reason? HIATUS.
1. Chapter 1

**The Moon Will Wake Me Up**

A Rise of the Brave Tangled Dragons Fiction

Summary:: Human AU. Jack Frost is lonely, sullen. His mischievousness has disappeared and there isn't a wisp of joy left in his life. Depression is becoming suffocating. Thoughts are turning dark, actions turning austere. But will a passionate artist, unruly archer and awkward fishbone show him that life isn't so bad? That friends will always be there? That everything happens for a reason? Rise of the Brave Tangled Dragons / Big Four, HiJack.

* * *

Hi. I like fruit jelly and juice boxes.

I really wanted to contribute to the Rise of the Brave Tangled Dragons (or The Big Four) fandom with a fanfiction that isn't very good. It is my new favorite fandom. It is good and perfect, like strawberry milk.

I guess that this is a gift / dedicated to the RBTD fandom 'cause none of my friends know about this even though I repeatedly tell them what it is. They have bad memories I guess…

* * *

Chapter, O N E

**The Passionate Artist**

It was gray, misty; I didn't know what to make out of today's morning. Saying that it rained cats and dogs last night would be an understatement. The rain pelted my roof violently while the wind punched my windows mercilessly. Some lights went out and broken branches sit in empty black streets. You actually would've thought a tornado was about to spiral right through our little metropolis.

_Never have seen this much rain in my life._

The weatherman said that it was supposed to be nice and sunny with cool winds and rolling clouds. It was such a lie; disappointing families who had things planned and upsetting little babes and children who wanted to wish upon stars.

Soft pianos drift from Ana's window to mine, filling my ears with warm melodies. It mixes harshly with the loud Russian singing coming from Nicholas's balcony. He's just now putting away his Christmas decorations. It's late March and his house had still been twinkling with multi-colored lights.

I pull a quilt that Ana knitted for me up to my chin, feeling my stomach churn nastily, uncomfortably. My head hurts and the television that sits before me provides little entertainment. I hear a crack of thunder and see a blink of lightening. I hear Nicholas yell something in Russian and already the tiny droplets that had been pattering on my French windows was turning into a heavy downpour. I reach for the remote and turn my television off. I close my eyes and hear Ana's piano get louder, hear the Russian singing grow silent. Even under the quilt, I shiver.

_Never have seen this much rain in my life._

* * *

I woke up at about seven in the morning. I had spent another day doing nothing. The sky was a depressing blue, the sun coming up on the horizon to cheer up the heavens.

For a moment, I sit, eyes unblinking, breathing slow and even. My stomach is still churning, my body is still shivering. When I try to swallow it feels like pebbles are clogging my throat. What day was it? I forget. Was it a Saturday? Sunday? Or was it Friday? I knew for sure that it was definitely one of the more favorable days of the week. I should really get out of the house, but I don't have the motivation to do anything. At all.

I had no parents to tell me to get up. I had no little sister to playfully push me out of bed. They were gone; I was lonely. The sun was rising quicker now and dust danced in the bright rays. I had to get up. I _needed_ to get up. How was I going to continue life just sitting on my couch like this? If other people could do it, then I could do it, too.

I turn on my side and awkwardly lay like that for a while before actually lifting the quilt off of me. I throw my legs over the side of the couch. I sit and listen.

Birds whistled and crickets were still composing symphonies of sharp chirps.

Cars drove in deep puddles of rainwater.

Ana had turned on her radio again, tuning in to romantic pianos and timid violins. I could hear fish splash in the pond behind the Parr home. I could hear loud Russian singing on Nicholas's porch.

The smell of cinnamon buns and pancakes wafting from Penelope's home mingled with the mouthwatering aroma of crisply baked croissants, omelets and coffee that came from Linguini's humble abode.

I wish I had a pleasant noise or smell that I could give to the community.

I wanted to eat, but I don't think that I can. I want to move around but if I do then I'll feel like I have to vomit. I want to see someone, but they might look at me and curl their lip in disgust. My hair stuck up at odd angles, my eyes were dark and void of any emotion. My breath wreaked of alcohol and I smelled like sweat. Usually I'm not like this. Usually, I'm a mischievous little shit who would play with the kids and annoy the hell out of the adults. Usually I'd be out of the house by now, greeting strangers with a smile and a compliment, doing a little something to brighten their day.

But no, I couldn't do that. I didn't even have the energy to be myself. It was saddening.

They all left things on my doorstep, threw pitiful glances at my shadowed home over their shoulders and deepened their frowns when they saw the big, brown boxes full of miscellaneous items, sitting beside it a small, pink bin filled to the brim with faux makeup and little playthings. Lying at the top of that bin was a white pair of ice skates.

I hear another car drive in a deep puddle of rain, the water splashing onto the sidewalk.

_Never have seen this much rain in my life._

* * *

After I decided to get up and shower, I slid on a pair of slippers and crept outside. I walked pass the presents left on my doorstep and trudge down the walkway. The cool air felt perfect and the sun was actually shining. I wished there was a rainbow. It would've made me smile.

"Jack!"

I turn my head at the call. I saw no one, but when I looked down I wasn't surprised. Dashell could be here and there in the blink of an eye. Just recently he joined the track team, I heard. That's good. I put on a smile and knelt down.

"Hey, Dash."

"Hi Jack!" His grin went soft for a second. "My mom and dad finally told me what happened. Just last night! Crazy, right? They think I'm not old enough to hear about that stuff," Dash rubbed his arm. "You're okay, right? I don't really like seeing you like this. Well, no one does, actually."

My smile was sad, I knew. Ana says that fake smiling brings real happiness. I kept that in mind. "Yeah Dash, I'm okay," I looked at his home and saw Bob and Helen wave. I waved back. They were very nice people, albeit a little strange. But it kind of lightened my heart to know that everyone in the neighborhood cared about my well-being. For the past few days I haven't been answering my door, my friends, my calls. I couldn't do it. "I'm just a little… just a little uh…"

"Sad?"

"Yeah," I had to look down. But looking down only made a small smile grace my face. I don't know how Dash could simply stand there in muddy water and not be phased. "But I'll try to feel better, I promise."

Dash did a pout-smile thing and put his hands on his hips. "You better try or I'll track mud into your house," the pout-smile turned into a toothy smirk. He turned and began running to his home. "See'ya Jack!"

Bob and Helen waved at me again. I waved back. I would've went back to sulking at home in silence but I saw Aster jogging down the sidewalk. The Aussie stopped in his tracks once he saw me and I could see his viridian eyes burning. His thick eyebrows were furrowed and his forehead gleamed with sweat. He was angrily walking towards me now, and I felt glued to the sidewalk.

I should've gone back in my house. I should've stayed in my house.

* * *

I sat on a boulder, feeling at the soft moss that grew on the ore. My feet were tickled by daisies and tulips. From a flimsy green stem sprouted a lily-of-the-valley. Roses grew in one bush, some red, some white and some pastel blue. Forget-me-nots and hyacinths sprouted in long grass. Lotus petals whispered with the breeze and chimes could be heard from the weeping willows across the backyard.

This was Aster's garden. I always wondered how he kept it up. For such a grumpy old killjoy, he actually had a soft center. He cared for children just as much as I did and whenever he wasn't annoyed, he was cool and calm, even a little humorous. Currently he was watering some candy-lilies that sat beside me. I picked a ladybug off of my blue hoodie. I leaned towards the rays when the sun tried to hide behind a cloud.

"You know, I could fix it for you," Aster spoke. He gave an unsure glance in my direction and continued. "Your grass is lookin' dehydrated. I could fix it for you."

Sometimes I thought that Aster felt awkward talking to me with such a soft tone. He usually talked with a cocky tone or an annoyed one. Either that or he'd be yelling profanities at me when I decide to be a dick to him.

I looked down at Aster's grass and was honestly amazed at how green and lush it as. I didn't want to tell him that though. We were friend enemies. Unless the time called for it, we kept all compliments to ourselves.

"Yeah," I said, "you can do that. Um… thank you."

Aster didn't give me a second glance when he turned around to begin watering some marigolds. "Don't mention it."

Then there was silence. It was filled with the sound of water exiting a watering can and hitting the dirt ground. Birds sang and kids were laughing in mirth. I could hear a man yelling at his son to stop being so weak. I could hear dull _**thungs! **_and a boisterous Scottish man praising his "wee lassie". I could hear the smile in his voice. I really liked this neighborhood.

"Aster!"

We both glanced up at the white fence. Standing at the gate waving a plastic bag was a girl. A flowery girl. I call her flowery because she's got all sorts of flowers in her long blonde braid. "Aster I have the jasmine seeds!" Aster opens the gate for her, a smile on his face. "I also got camellia and honeysuckle seeds! Aurora gave me these, too." She pulls out a bouquet of champagne colored roses wrapped in yellow plastic. "She said that you ordered them for a boy named Jack, here ya go!"

Once Aster turned to me, I looked away. Are you kidding me? He did that on purpose. I know I should be grateful for the roses, but he didn't have to _get_ me them. Roses are too girly.

"Oi Jack!"

Great. I turn back to Aster and see flowery girl staring at me with huge, green eyes full of curiosity. I have the sudden urge to pull my hood over my head and look away, but I can't. She smiles and her cheeks shine a rosy shade of pink. I don't smile.

"Here are those flowers I never told you about!" Ass. Haha. Asster. I chuckle on the inside. He throws the bouquet at me. I don't catch them.

"Nice catch," he sarcastically calls. I roll my eyes and pick up the flowers, placing them beside me on the boulder. I look down. It's quiet again and I hear trotting on the green grass. Before I could put my hands in my pockets and sit in silence again, a pair of feet are in my line of vision. The toenails were painted a light pink color, lavender lines and dots accenting the shade. On each big toe, there was a symbol. It looked like a sun.

I picked my head up and gazed at flowery girl. She smiled down at me and nodded pointedly to the ground. I think of it for a minute before I get up and sit back down, this time on the grass. Flowery girl sits beside me and crosses her legs. For a minute, we sit in the shade, watching Aster water a few pewters. I pick another ladybug off of my hoodie.

"They're pesky little things, aren't they?"

Her voice is pretty, just like her face. I say, "Yeah."

"Do you always come here to sit and watch Aster?"

"No," I answer.

She hummed. "I do sometimes. Watching him puts me at ease. When I was little, Aster's garden wasn't this full. At first it was only a few tulips and roses. But now," she picked a ladybug off of her shoulder, "it's just the most colorful thing I've ever seen. Just looking at it lifts my spirits and makes me really happy."

Flowery girl sighs dreamily and she smiles. There are small posies and pansies in her hair; apple blossoms circled a hibiscus flower. She was a real beauty.

We both sit there watching Aster, watching the colorful flora dance with the wind, watching the leaves from the weeping willow rub the chimes, causing them to ring. Next door, I can hear a mother washing plates. Up the street, I can hear Linguini shouting "Little chef, little chef!". Down the street, I can hear go karts racing around a track. Above me, I hear a toy airplane.

I move closer to flowery girl. She doesn't notice. We listen to the bees.

"Rapunzel Corona," she says.

The name of the fairytale princess. It must be her name. I laugh on the inside. What a creative name to give to your daughter. I move even closer and this time she notices. She doesn't move away, instead she looks at me with a warm smile and brushes blonde bangs out of her face. She smells like strawberries and paint.

"Jack Frost," I say, trying to hold back the small smile that peace has given me.

She picks a ladybug off of my chest and nods. "Frost. Jack Frost. I really like that. It gives me… inspiration."

* * *

She's not a bored one. I can tell. She's bouncy, she wants something new to do. Her thick braid is continuously losing flowers, but she always turns around and picks them up. She loves the outdoors, she loves the sun. She can bake, she's an artist.

She made a clay pot for Aster to put his colored eggs in. She likes to make paper peach blossoms with Mulan from time to time. She works at a flower shop on Sundays with Aurora. She rides her pink bike to a different rolling hill some afternoons. She catches fireflies with Tiana every night.

She always has a smile on her face.

This Rapunzel girl is possibly the sweetest thing on Earth.

* * *

It's nighttime. Rapunzel has finished catching fireflies with Tiana. She has put away all her art supplies and in her backyard we sit. There are fireflies, but Rapunzel doesn't get up to catch them. I don't have the energy to.

After we bid farewell to Aster with bellies full of carrot cake and milk, she pulled me down the sidewalk, away from my house and towards her home. We passed a young adult with a handsome face and chocolate brown hair. Rapunzel blushed behind her flowers and touched her cheek.

Earlier today, when the air had started smelling like spun sugar, she was playing the harp. Then she got up and brought out a guitar. After that she pulled me into her home, where I met her parents, and I watched her play the piano. Then, when the sky was orange, she left me, commanding me to stay. I had no choice but to do so. I didn't want to leave her so early. I didn't want to spend the rest of my day doing nothing.

She went to catch fireflies with Tiana.

Why she didn't just take me with her, I don't know. But it was nice to sit in her yard and hear Ana's soft piano in the distance, hear Nicholas's loud Russian singing just a little bit farther. I could hear Mulan chatting with Sgt. Calhoun as they walked down the sidewalk. They talked about war. I could hear Ralph arguing with Penelope over sweets and Wendy and Alice sat in the Liddel's yard speaking of dresses and gossiping about the cute boy down the street who went by the name of Peter.

I really like this neighborhood.

I blink down at a firefly that landed on my nose. It wasn't very charming up close.

"I've heard people say that your family died coming back from an ice skating trip," Rapunzel offers me some ginger snaps. I take one. Her big green eyes were the same shade they were when she first saw me sitting in Aster's yard. I call that shade "curiosity". "Is that true?"

"Yeah," I chew the cookie. It was good. I pick up another one.

Rapunzel turns to me with a concerned expression and gasps. "Oh!"

"Yeah," I say again. The cookie that I was chewing didn't taste as good as the last one.

"I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize."

"But I-"

"You don't have to apologize." The cookies taste bitter now.

* * *

I woke up in the grass next to an empty plate, ants picking at the crumbs. Did I eat all the ginger snaps? I feel a blanket on my arms. It was yellow and smelled like lavender. A raccoon peaked at me from a hole in the fence and when it caught sight of me moving, it ran away. I sit up. My back didn't hurt as much as I thought it would. A green lizard had jumped off of my shoulder when I moved and it ran towards the balcony, slipping inside a crack in the door.

I look around. I'm still in Rapunzel's backyard. Rapunzel is gone.

I pick a blade of grass out of my hair and look up. The sun is rising, the stars are disappearing, the clouds are rolling, the trees are swaying. The moon is gone.

It is spring.

* * *

I am in Rapunzel's living room now. It looks just as neat and clean as it did yesterday. Her couches are a pale yellow and her entertainment system is filled with books and movies. The coffee and end tables are mahogany. The television is bigger than me. Her living room is warm and smells like apple pie.

"Jack."

I look up. Rapunzel is looking down at me with an unreadable expression.

"I'm sorry."

"I said-"

"I know, I know. You said that I don't have to apologize. But, I just feel like I have to," she says. She looks genuinely sorry. But for what? Because of what she said or because of what happened?

I scratch my knee. "What are you apologizing for?"

Rapunzel looks at me for a second, blinking. "I'm apologizing because I suddenly asked that question. I wanted to know. I was just-"

"Curious?"

"Yeah." It was silent for a minute. A sun-shaped clock ticked away above the entertainment system. Then she speaks again. "I'm sorry."

I roll my eyes. "For what?"

"For being stupid," she twiddles her thumbs.

"Well you are blonde."

"Hey!"

I lift my hands up. "I'm joking!"

Rapunzel throws a pillow at me and it hits me in the face. It smells like honeysuckle. I chuckle. I feel light. Lighter than before. Lighter than ever.

Rapunzel and I play for a while, completing puzzles and throwing tantrums whenever one of us loses a game. I liked playing Candyland the most because the board smelt like sugar. It reminded me of Penelope. After becoming tired of playing games, we started chatting. Rapunzel told me the tale of how she was taken away from her family at birth. I leant in the whole time, hanging onto every single word.

Rapunzel told me of how she wanted to have a haircut. I gazed down at her hair, which wasn't in a braid, and admired its healthy golden color. It was very long, too. I told her not to cut her hair. She just laughed.

She confessed to me that she had a crush. My heart sped up a little and I asked who. She claimed that it was the man that we had walked pass when we were walking to her home. His name was Flynn Rider. I was slightly disappointed.

She told me that every time her birthday rolled around, her parents would light lanterns and they'd fly away. They lit the night sky and soared into the heavens. She sighs that same dreamy sigh and smiles. "I can't wait for my next birthday," she says.

"How old are you?" I ask.

"Eighteen! And you?"

"Eighteen," I say.

She hums. "Now tell me about yourself."

I tell her about my four closest friends: Ana, Nicholas, Anderson and Aster. I tell her about how Ana gives me free dentist appointments. I tell her about how Nicholas sometimes plays as Santa Claus at the mall during Christmas time. But he doesn't like to be called Santa, he likes to be called North. I tell her about how Anderson sleeps a lot. Rapunzel says that Aurora likes to sleep a lot as well. We both already knew what grumpy pants Aster did.

I told Rapunzel about Penelope and how sometimes in the middle of the night she would turn on her radio and play loud Japanese pop music. She was also a competitor in the Sugar Rush tournament that went on during the summer. She had dirty hair and liked to visit the arcade in a turquoise hoodie and brown skirt and sneakers. She always played the racing games.

I tell her about how I like winter more than any other season. She shivers. She tells me she likes spring more than any other season. I like the cold. She likes warmth.

I tell her about Linguini and how awkward he is, how he flew over from France, how terrifically he can cook and how he has a rat for a pet. He named it Little Chef. Rapunzel jumped up and down at that.

"I have a pet!"

I thought back to this morning. "Is it a lizard?"

"Wha- No, not a lizard. Pascal!"

"Who?"

She pointed to my shoulder and the green… lizard was sitting there. Just like it was this morning. I picked it up and examined it. "Nice lizard," I said.

"No, not a lizard! He's a chameleon, see?"

I watched as Pascal's skin color changed. It was the color of my hand, Rapunzel's nightdress and the couch. It even got all the shades right. Then it turned back to its original green color. I smiled. "What a cool frog."

"Chameleon!"

* * *

Later that day, I helped Rapunzel with her chores. She swept and I mopped, then she washed her laundry. After she dried it, she ironed it. Then we read some books.

I watched her paint. I watched her play guitar again. She taught me how to knit, even though I'm still unsure of how to do it. I got my fingers tangled in the yarn. She laughed.

Then she began baking. We made pastries and cookies. I dropped a jar of apricot jam and swore loudly, apologizing embarrassingly. She laughed.

Then after that we played darts and made paper mache, I watched her do ballet and afterwards we played chess. I made pots and candles with her and angrily sighed whenever the shape didn't come out right. She laughed.

Then she sketched me. Then we stretched together. Then we climbed to the roof and sat watching everyone below us. People waved hello and I could see my house from up here. I could see everything from up here. The castle-looking academy down the street, the moon that is blending in with the sky, the weeping willow in Aster's backyard. It was beautiful.

After that, we climbed back down and Rapunzel began to sew. Then we read more books and she painted some more. This time I did too. I painted a snowy land that had no one but myself in it. Rapunzel obviously didn't know that I was painting from sadness and loneliness and she named my painting _Icy Sanctuary_. She hung it up in her room.

Then I helped her brush her hair. I thought that it would be fun, but it was just tiring and my arm had began to hurt after a while; my hand burned from holding the brush for so long.

Then, after having done all of that, the sun was already setting. We watched the clouds change colors. We ate vanilla bean cheesecake and sugar cookies. We drank tea and a whole gallon of milk. She was still in her nightgown when she suggested that I meet Tiana. Then I could catch fireflies in her backyard, too. I nodded and helped pull her long hair into a ponytail. Then we grabbed jars and walked to Tiana's home.

* * *

Tiana's home was filled with the smell of gumbo and fried chicken. She had two pet frogs and she, like the Parr family, had a pond in her backyard. She had a husband named Naveen who was flirtatious and cocky. He speaks with an accent and is always sneaking up behind Tiana and leaving wet kisses on her neck.

Rapunzel and I go out to the backyard and the fireflies are out. They twinkle and they shine and Rapunzel has already caught three. At first I'm not so eager. I simply watch Rapunzel have fun from under a large tree. In this tree, hundreds of fireflies are blinking against the green leaves.

"You don't look like you're havin' fun, baby."

Tiana is standing above me, wiping her hands on a white apron. She smiles a tender smile that her dimples seem to deepen. Naveen is helping Rapunzel catch fireflies.

I stutter. "Oh no, I was just- I mean I didn't-"

"Just don't feel up to it right now?"

I nod. She hums. "It ain't everyone's sport."

Naveen slips on a jar and is dangerously close to falling into the pond. Rapunzel bursts out laughing and Tiana shakes her head. I chuckle under my breath.

"You got a name, honey?"

"Jack."

She slips her flip flops off and sits down beside me. She smells like cinnamon. "Well now, Jackson," I grimaced at the name and she laughs, "you gotta put a smile on that face. Ever since you walked into my house, you were frownin'. It don't look good, sweetie." Her voice is smooth, like velvet, and it calms me. The stars are twinkling now. Naveen has only caught one firefly. Rapunzel has about thirty.

"I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize, sweetheart. You didn't do nothin' wrong."

Was that the truth? Did I really do nothing wrong? I must've done something wrong for my life to spiral like this. For my family to disappear from me like this. I shiver and feel like crying, but I won't cry in front of all these people.

"Ah! That was quite the work out!" Naveen plops down beside me and he smiles. It's hard for me to fake a smile, though I do it anyway. Rapunzel is still catching fireflies. "And who is this beautiful, young fellow?" He elbows my arm. Did he just call me beautiful?

"This is Jack," Tiana answers for me with a smirk.

"Ah, Jack," he flashes a huge, pearly white grin. That's when I noticed that both Naveen and Tiana have very nice smiles. "What a nice name. Do you live in the neighborhood, Jack?"

I nod.

He hums and, after a moment, stands up, rejoining Rapunzel. For a few more minutes, Tiana and I watch the two have their fun before Tiana stands and goes into the kitchen. In a few seconds, she yells, "Dinner time ya'll!"

I hear Naveen mutter "Finally" and Rapunzel runs up to me. "Did you catch any fireflies?" When I shake me head no, she frowns and tilts her head. Tiana pokes her head out the window.

"Ya'll stayin' for dinner?"

Rapunzel brushes a lock behind her ear and turns to Tiana. "Yeah, we're coming in!" She turns back to me. "C'mon Jack."

I look up at her. "Actually, I kinda want to stay out here for a little bit more."

She gives me an expression I'm not able to read and leans in, saying, "Are you feeling okay?"

I lie. "Yeah, just fine."

"You sure?" I notice a dusting of freckles on her nose. I never noticed them before. She's just that close.

I lie again. "Yes, Punzie. I'm fine." I don't know where that nickname came from, but it seemed to make her happy. She smiled and ran to inside the house.

I sat in silence for a minute.

Then I start to cry. It doesn't make me feel better.

I stand up and wipe the blades of grass off of my bottom. I look back at the lively home before hopping the fence. I run down, down, down the sidewalk and am greeted with my dark abode. I hurriedly walk to it and up the steps onto my porch. I quickly unlock my door and open the hatch, leaving it wide open. I pick up each present left on my doorstep and take them inside. In the distance, I hear Rapunzel calling my name.

I get all the gifts and shut and lock my door.

I accidentally let in a moth. I kill it.

I smell like grass. I should take a shower.

My stomach is still churning. I have to lie down.

Maybe if I go to sleep, I can forget about everything that happened yesterday and today. Maybe if I go to sleep, I'll stop hearing the disappointed voice inside of me. Maybe if I go to sleep, I can forget about her.

Maybe.

* * *

Stay tuned for chapter two, **The Unruly Archer**, whereas Merida is introduced and Jack is just a _little _bit closer to meeting Hiccup.

"_Never have seen this much rain in my life." Can anyone guess where this quote is from? It is from one of my favorite books by one of my favorite authors. She is the one who inspired me to tell tales in this… "lyrical" and "poignant" form of writing. If you guess correctly, you can get a oneshot with a pairing of your choice (even though I'm bad at oneshots and like continuing things)._


	2. Chapter 2

Is this chapter late? It's late…

I'm gonna go watch **Brave** so that I can get a hold on Merida's accent.

* * *

**The Moon Will Wake Me Up**

A Rise of the Brave Tangled Dragons Fiction

* * *

Chapter, T W O

**The Unruly Archer**

The morning was cool and smells wafted through my slightly ajar window. I blink open my eyes and wipe the sand out of them, sitting up in the process. It is sunny outside and colorful birds are quickly flitting pass, tweeting hurriedly, playfully. Ana is playing a sweet song with rich flutes and happy pianos. Nicholas is singing loudly, both to himself and the rest of the neighborhood. I've always wondered what time the people in my neighborhood get up. I feel like I'm always the last.

I reach for my cell phone and see that I have twenty-seven missed calls, forty-five unread messages and thirteen voice mails I checked them all. Most of them were from Ana, Anderson, Nicholas or Aster. Some of them were from others in the neighborhood. I got cute, silly texts flooded with emoticons from Penelope and uplifting messages from Andy. I listened to the voice mails and they all sounded either sad or awkward. I didn't want to hear the rest.

I got out of bed. I walked out of my room, phone in hand, and pass my little sister's room. Everything had been moved out. The only item currently in there was her mattress.

I hold my chest. Lately, my heart has been beating slower than usual. But sometimes when I feel like my heart will stop beating entirely, it'll suddenly beat quickly, violently, and then I have to hold my chest because of how much it hurts to have my heart thump like that. It feels nasty, like the organ will pop out or make its way up to my throat. I shake my head.

I don't want anything like that to happen me, ever. I've already had enough bad experiences with blood. I never want to go to a hospital again. I never want to ride in a car again.

I won't even dare to glance at an ice skating rink.

I stop at a step on the staircase and my eyes sting. They say that when you cry, the tear that falls from your right eye first is from pain. The tear that falls from your left eye first is from joy. All of my tears have started falling from my right eye. No surprise there.

A whimper and a choke left my throat and now I'm sitting on my steps crying, weeping, sobbing. I want my parents back. I want my little sister back. I want my happy life back. I want the sky blue days where my family would play Monopoly in the backyard and my dad would get angry because the first card he picked up was a go-straight-to-jail card. I want the orange heaven days where my mother and I would watch the clouds turn pink, purple and other warm colors.

I want the midnight universe days where my little sister and I ran to a dark spot and watched the milky way from Earth.

But I couldn't have any of that. Not anymore.

I feel weak from crying. My stomach is grumbling. I didn't eat anything last night. I couldn't stay at Tiana's. I was feeling too weird.

I stand up and go downstairs, scratching my chin harshly, irritatingly. There's a mosquito bite there. It was probably from leaving my window open all night, or sleeping in Rapunzel's backyard.

Rapunzel.

My shoulders slump. The name is like a burst of color and fluorescent flowers in my head. Her face pops up in my mind, her golden hair, her rosy cheeks, her pink lips. Her beautiful giggles, her talented hands, her curious eyes. I sniff the air and it gradually begins to smell like strawberries and paint, a contrast to how my home smells like salty tears and rainy days. She still is a beauty. She still knows how to bake and sculpt like one of those professionals you see on the television. She still has a pretty voice.

I miss her.

I miss her and I want to see her again. The refreshing splendor, attractive originality and envious endowment are what makes me want to go back. I need something to help me out of this gray, gray world. Bursts of hues and tints from an unique spectrum is exactly what Rapunzel is and what I crave. I really miss Rapunzel and I'm already eager to be greeted with the sight and smell of creativity personified into a human being.

But I'm afraid that there will be some roadblocks.

What'll she say when I see her again? Obviously she'll be angry. I shouldn't have left like that. I knew I shouldn't have left like that. But I couldn't stay.

I wouldn't stay.

And that is exactly what's keeping me hesitant and fearful. I've only known Rapunzel for two days and already I surmise that she's angry with me. I'm used to seeing the curiosity etched onto her face like an artisan practicing emotions, or the happiness and glee that danced in her bright green eyes like sweaty choreographers demonstrating a fast paced salsa. I only want peace from her.

And I know just the place to go to find that peace.

* * *

Aster's house smells like eggs and salad. When I come in, he gives me a big omelet and carrots drenched in ranch dressing. His house smells like waterfalls and his wooden tables like lemon. His leather furniture shines and the ceiling fans in his kitchen make me cold. Aster asks me if I want them turned off. I say no. I like the cold.

"You been feelin' better?" He asks.

I shrug. Have I? Not really.

"Yeah, kinda," I said.

He nods. "That's good I guess…"

"Yeah…" I say.

Tender Aster is awkward. It's like he doesn't know how to act around me. I'm still Jack, aren't I? Why can't he act like he used to? I mean, I know I'm hurting in more ways than one, but that doesn't mean that he has to turn soft just because of that. I hate pity. But under that kind expression, I know how he really feels.

I know that he can relate.

* * *

When I was little, my mom always gave me kisses before she went to work. I knew because whenever I woke up, there would always be lipstick on my cheek. Sometimes I'd see it after looking into the mirror, or sometimes I wouldn't notice at all and then when my mom came home, she'd look down at me with such a loving smile. That smile alone made the whole house seem warmer. After my little sister was born, and I got older, she stopped giving me kisses and instead gave them to her. I felt neglected and awkwardly jealous for some time, but after a while, she began to give me kisses again. I didn't feel neglected anymore.

My father always ruffled my already messy hair and gave me a smile. It was always a friendly smile. He was always the one to cause us to laugh in mirth or smile in fondness. He always knew what to say, and every time he did say something, it was always a lighthearted jest or a tender speech. Even when he scolded me or my little sister, we never felt like we were actually being punished with words for our actions. We were already sorry, and he knew that.

He stayed at home and cooked and cleaned while mom went to work. It was funny to see my dad in a baby blue apron and fuzzy slippers while my mom was the one to wear the dull formal attire and carry black briefcases. I went to school. My little sister did, too. She got bullied a little bit, but I was always there for her.

When I went to school, girls swooned. They followed me around. They crowded my locker, always trying to talk to me. But I never wanted to talk to them. They all smelt like they had jumped into a pool of perfume. It made my head woozy and sometimes I had to sneeze.

It's now spring break. Aster had told me that yesterday was Saturday. Today is Sunday. Next Sunday would be Easter, and Aster is excited. He's always helping kids during the egg hunts. He's always the one hiding them. He's always the one painting them.

Aster is excited.

* * *

Aster tells me he is about to tend to his garden. I ask if I can sit and watch. He says of course mate with a kind smile.

His garden is brighter than ever with the sun beating down on it. The flowers accept the light and shyly open their petals, drinking in the rays. The grass is soft and itchy. The moss on the boulder is comfortable. It smells nice and earthy in Aster's garden. The flowers provide fragrance and are a sight for sore eyes. The wind is blowing and multicolored chimes are ringing. I walk across the garden to touch one. The chime is circular and has tiny bells on the inside of it. I see another. This one is in the shape of a fairy with blonde hair tied up in a bun with a green, leafy dress on. The small silver carillons on her lime slippers sing with the wind. I shake the fairy. She sounds beautiful. Maybe I should get myself some wind chimes.

Aster is humming a comforting tune and it's making me feel sleepy.

Today is bright and sunny, the smell of pollen and all types of other aromas wafting around in the air. Bees invade Aster's garden, but he doesn't care. I hear Tulio and Miguel chattering loudly and laughing hearty laughs as they pass by. A little further down the sidewalk, I hear Jasmine calling for Aladdin to give her her shoe back.

I really like this neighborhood. I honestly don't know how many times I'll say it. I always find my self entertained, amused by the neighbors and residents of Dripping Dreams Avenue, Pixar A. S. Street and Walt D. P. Road.

_**Thung! Thung! Thung!**_

It was that noise again. I couldn't put my finger on what the noise was. Before the dull _thung, _there was a hissing sound that came from something else. Each time it sounded like it was hitting something. A tall brown fence is dividing Aster's backyard from the one next door. The sounds continue and I hear breaths being held for silent moments before an exhale is given along with a satisfied _humph_.

I look around and find the best substitution for a ladder.

I get a gray bucket and bring it over to the fence. Aster gives me a look but I continue on with what I'm doing anyway. I place the bucket on the ground bottom up and stand on it. I can see over the fence.

There's a girl. She is carrying something, a bow I realize, and is wearing a lime green t-shirt with a bear on it. She has on distressed jeans tucked into brown combat boots. And her hair.

Her freakin' hair.

I could probably write a nine page essay on how impressive this girl's hair was. It was messy and had big curls along with small reddish-orange ringlets. The girl raked a hand through the tresses and sighed as she picked up a clutter of arrows. She's thicker than Rapunzel and her face is round. The sun beams down on the back of my neck. I know Impressive-Hair-Girl is probably hot with all those thick, warm locks surrounding her face like that.

Rapunzel's hair is remarkable, but this girl's seemingly untamable mane is something else.

Impressive-Hair-Girl turns around and I quickly jump off the bucket. I don't want to seem like some creep watching her hair move around. Even though that's what I was doing. Maybe this was the "wee lassie" I heard the Scottish man praising. Maybe I should talk to her or something.

The sun is intensely beating down on me, almost as if it was yelling at me with its rays. I turn to go and sit on the mossy boulder, but I'm stopped.

Stopped by Rapunzel.

Damn.

Her brown eyebrows are drawn together and her pink lips are pulled down in an uncharacteristic frown. I instantly feel guilty, but only a little.

She doesn't look angry, but instead she looks hurt.

"Why did you leave yesterday?"

I don't know what to say.

"Why didn't you eat dinner with me, Tiana and Naveen?"

I feel awful.

"Why didn't you catch fireflies?"

The brightness in her green eyes has dimmed. And it was my fault.

I say, "I just wasn't feeling well."

Her expression is unreadable now. "If you weren't feeling well then why didn't you say anything?"

"Because I-"

"If you weren't feeling well then why didn't you tell someone?" She doesn't have many flowers in her hair today.

"Because-"

"If you weren't feeling well then why didn't you tell _me_?" Her long eyebrows curve up.

"Because I didn't…" I wait to see if she'll interrupt me again. When she doesn't, I go on. "I didn't want to feel like a burden."

Aster glances at us before he begins watering some roses.

She doesn't reply. Though she does awkwardly shuffle in her spot. The air felt thick and the birds whistled sweetly somewhere in the neighborhood. Then, Rapunzel speaks. "Jack…"

_**Buzz. Buzz.**_

She reaches into her pocket and pulls out her lavender cell phone. Checking it, she sighs and looks back at me. " It's Aurora. I have to go to work."

Before I could say anything, she has her arms wrapped around my neck, her nose taking in my scent. The hug was careful, as if I'd break. The hug was quick, as if I'm contagious.

The hug was gratifying, as if she actually, truly cared.

The smell of strawberries is extremely intoxicating.

Then she lets go and turns around, her mouth moving with inaudible words. I want to ask what she said, but she's already to the white gate.

Then she turns and gives me a warm smile. The same smile she gave me when we first met. And again, again, I feel light. Lighter than before.

Lighter than ever.

* * *

I sit on Aster's brown, leather chair and can't help but smell the cherry fragrance that came from it. I breathe, breathe, breathe it all in till I can't anymore. I shuffle my feet around as I feel Aster's bunny, Thumper, continuously poke its wet nose on my toes. I have enough of its constant toe-tickling and pick the animal up, feeling it struggle at first but then relax as I put it on my lap and pet it, feeling at the soft fur.

Aster is in the kitchen making something to eat, as well as cutting up carrots and getting pieces of lettuce for Thumper.

The day is quiet. Aster was supposed to go to church, but he said that he'd rather tend to his garden. I don't really feel like walking home. Nothing exactly was going on in the neighborhood for once. I noticed that as soon as I shut myself in my house, things got quieter.

I don't know if that was good or bad.

Thumper's ears move and twitch, his small pink nose smells the air. The bunny hurriedly jumps out of my lap and goes to the door, sitting, waiting, its fluffy tail shaking.

Maybe Rapunzel was coming.

My heart pounds at the thought. I've been so stuck on Rapunzel lately.

Rapunzel, Rapunzel. I'm very tempted to say the four words that came with the pleading call of the fair maiden's name. I didn't even know she had lived in this neighborhood. Of all the times that I've come out of my home, I'd never seen her and her long, golden hair that was adorned with fresh, blooming flowers. Come to think of it, I'd never seen any floating lanterns fly from her big backyard and into the atmosphere either.

Maybe she moved in while I was still deep in my angsty stupor.

I'm thinking about her too much, relying on her to make me feel better just because she was the first one to break the ice. Break my ice. Push down and defeat my frozen fortress with delicious spring warmth. It's easy to drink in the heat like the fictional Pooh Bear consumes a bee's April fresh honey. I'm too vulnerable as I gaze upon an angel with rosy seraphim wings and a halo of daisy chains. I could fall easier without my own wings, but I know that no matter how hard or how fast I fall, the cherub, the _guardian_ of creativity and dreams of summer breezes and freedom, will be there to fall hard after me.

Or even better, to catch me.

_**Ding dong.**_

The doorbell rings and Thumper is thumping his feet on the wooden floor. I smile. The guy really lives up to his name.

"Jack," Aster speaks from the kitchen, "get that for me would ya?"

I look up. "Me?"

"No, I'm talking about the other Jack that's sitting in the living room gazing off into space."

I was about to say something smart but then the doorbell rung again and Thumper continued to thump his feet. I sighed and stood up. I felt older when I shouldn't have, sick when I wasn't. Silence pierced my brain as I walked towards the door, forced to answer someone when I didn't feel like talking. Thumper jumps away and onto the couch, knocking over a remote.

I unlock the first lock, then the second, then the third before I'm finally able to open the door.

And now I'm finding myself staring into wide green eyes of curiosity. But they weren't Rapunzel's, no, they definitely weren't.

These tired green eyes were a little more olive than they were spring green like the rosy-cheeked blonde's. They also seemed clouded and secretive, nothing like Rapunzel's.

The eyes belonged to a boy, an awkward looking one at that, who had brown hair with burgundy streaks and small tangles. He obviously wasn't expecting me to open the door so his thick eyebrows went up in surprise once we made eye contact. He averted his gaze and said in a slightly hoarse voice, "Is Aster here?"

I say, "In the kitchen."

Awkward-Boy looks down and mumbles something before he brushes past me and says, "Excuse me."

I watch him unnervingly waltz into the kitchen and Thumper follows him, and soon Aster is talking about cat food. I begin to close the door when I see movement out of the corner of my eye. I look and see Impressive-Hair-Girl struggling with a big black, plastic trash bag. She groans when the bag doesn't seem to budge, though once she can finally pick it up, the bottom of it rips and trash leaks out. Impressive-Hair-Girl lets out an incomprehensible noise and starts to pick up the garbage.

I open the door some and almost step out before I look back into the kitchen. Awkward-Boy is staring at me with curiosity and wariness. When our eyes meet again he looks away to a bustling Aster who is digging around in his cabinets for something. I hear Impressive-Hair-Girl moan in disgust and decide to make a short trip to the kitchen, actions quick and light. I pass Awkward-Boy and ask Aster where the trash bags are. He glances at me out of the corner of his eye and says it's under the sink. I reach the small wooden doors and open them, looking around for the box of black bags.

The whole time I can feel Awkward-Boy's eyes burning into my neck.

I get the bags and leave quickly, not wanting anymore eyes hurting me or wary glances sent my way.

Impressive-Hair-Girl is still on the sidewalk. This time instead of groaning and complaining, she's cursing like a sailor under her breath. I leave Aster's house and step down the porch stairs and walk down the footway. As soon as I'm in front of Impressive-Hair-Girl and her ripping bag, I pick up the junk that's still stubbornly escaping from the plastic sack.

I feel eyes burning into my neck again and I don't know who they belong to. I know for sure it could be from the frozen redhead beside me, or maybe Awkward-Boy has left Aster's home and now he's gawking at me again.

Or maybe Rapunzel is visiting and leaving seeds for Aster's garden.

"Uh."

I look up and Impressive-Hair-Girl is gaping at me with a confused expression, her eyes the color of a vanilla twilight. Or, that's what color they shined in the pale April afternoon.

"What're you doin'?"

I sniff. "Helping. Do you not want the help?"

She blinks once, then twice, before saying, "I could've just done it mahself, yanno." Her hands are placed onto her hips.

I stand up and give her a look. "Do you want me to help or not?"

She doesn't say anything. Though she does remove a particularly large curl from her face by slapping it away and then bends down to pick up the ripped bag and put it into the new one. I see her glancing at me through her hair, licking her chapped lips and afterwards biting down on them. Light freckles are dusted onto her fair skin and a bright orange eyelash sits on her cheek. A curiously confused expression befits her face.

So many people have given me that look. It's becoming sickening.

I look down at the black bag in my hands and carry it to the end of the sidewalk and throw it into the dumpster. I swat at the flies that buzz around the trash and turn back to go to Aster's home.

Impressive-Hair-Girl is still standing where I left her. When I try to pass her, she stands in front of me.

I say, "What?"

She says, "What was that s'pposed to be?"

"Huh?"

"Look, it was real nice a' you to throw mah trash away, but," she gives me a fake sympathetic grin and crosses her arms, "I'm not exactly lookin' to be in any relationships just yet."

I slowly turn this way and that. You know how sometimes someone says something crazy to you and you just look around and when you see no one else you point to yourself and say "me"? Yeah, that's kind of how I'm feeling right now.

The street was silent. The moths were coming out. The sun was leaving. The moon was rising.

Even if I did search for a hidden camera, I wouldn't be able to find it.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

She flipped her hair over her shoulder. "Of course you do! You boys have been comin' left and right tryin' to get mah number. But don't worry," she placed her hand on my shoulder, "you're quite the looker. I'm sure you'll be able to find someone else."

"Wait, wait, wait. You think I'm trying to get your number? Just because I threw your trash away?"

"Basically."

I blink, dumbfounded. Really, you couldn't even be nice to anyway nowadays without them thinking that you're flirting with them.

"Look, Impress- uh- you, I wasn't trying to get your number or anything, I was just trying to help."

She rolls her eyes. "Sure you were."

I lick the roof of my mouth before saying, "Why would I even want your number? Besides, I didn't know great red yetis got service around here."

I smirked as Impressive-Hair-Girl gaped at me with an open mouth. Then that expression dramatically transformed into one of competition and determination.

"Yeah well-"

"Merida!"

Her hair bounced as she turned (my hair probably did nothing) to meet the eyes of a middle-aged woman with long brown hair. Once she met my eyes, curiosity flooded her expression.

My stomach began to churn.

Impressive-Hair-Girl, er, Merida looked at me with a flare in her eyes before they softened when she turned back to the woman. "Yes, mum?" Her tone was completely different from the one she just used with me.

Merida's mother began making her way down the steps, daintily, elegantly, something like a queen, before she stood before us. Her face was round just like Merida's.

"Oh, darling, I was just a little worried because you never came back in after you finished with the trash. But," she glanced at me with soft mirth in her aged eyes, "I see that you've been busy."

"Ugh, mum! I have not been _busy_!"

Merida's mom completely ignores her. "Mrs. DunBroch, nice to meet you." She reaches for my hand and shakes it. It feels like needles are prickling in my arm. The contact makes my stomach churn even more. "What's your name, lad?"

I swallow. "Jack."

"Ah! What a marvelous name, Jackson!" I grimace and Merida smirks at me. The name reminds of pasts that I don't want invading my mind. But they do anyway, and my stomach is making me uncomfortable. The air feels too thick and I can't breathe through my nose. "Just know, dear, that you're welcome to visit the DunBroch household anytime." She places her hand on my shoulder, right where Merida's was earlier.

"Yup!" Merida slaps my arm twice before placing it back on her hip. "You can visit anytime! You'll be a great target for me archery practice."

"Merida! You've just met him and you're already being rude? Honestly…"

"Wha- But he was being rude to me! He called me a great red yeti!"

Mrs. DunBroch glimpses at me before she reaches her hand up and chuckles behind it. "I'm sure he meant no harm by it. It was just a simple jest, Merida. Really, you can't take these things so seriously."

"But-"

"Enough. Jackson," I feel prickling in my throat, "please, visit again sometime soon. It'd be nice for you to meet the whole family."

I nod. My tongue feels like sandpaper. I feel something rising. My throat stings, as well as my eyes.

Mrs. DunBroch smiles clasps a hand on Merida's shoulder and says, "After dinner we need to talk about some things."

Merida groans again.

* * *

I hate having my face in the toilet like this.

Forced to feel like shit, forced to smell my own bile.

I've flushed the toilet three times already. I don't know when I'll stop.

There is a clear glass of water beside me and a note that Awkward-Boy left me.

I could already tell what it would be about when I saw the word _**help**_ written in nice handwriting.

* * *

**Please everyone, tell me if I've made any mistakes! I didn't really have time to edit this chapter too much.**

I think we all know who Awkward-Boy is.

Sometimes when I first meet people I give them little nicknames that describe them. Once I called my friend "Melodic-Constellation-Girl" out loud on accident. Whoops.

Stay tuned for chapter three, **The Awkward Fishbone, **where Jack finally meets the precious dragon tamer we all know and love.

And just a stupid side note: I noticed that I've put "Human AU" twice into the chapter one summary thingy. I feel like a dweeb.


	3. Chapter 3

I apologize! I'm sincerely sorry!

I didn't mean to let so many things get in the way of me updating!

Thank you for the lovely feedback my little cabbages! I am truly grateful!

* * *

**The Moon Will Wake Me Up**

A Rise of the Brave Tangled Dragons Fiction

Chapter, III

Part, O N E

**The Awkward Fishbone**

* * *

_Dear Jack Frost,_

_How do I know your name? 'Cause the moon told me what it was._

_The moon doesn't tell me a lot of things, but this time he spoke to me._

_He told me to find a boy with glossy, white hair that resembled the beauty of fresh snow._

_He told me to find a boy with piercing blue eyes the hue of a winter sky._

_He told me that I should talk to you, __**help**__ you, enlighten you._

_I heard somewhere that if the moon tells you something, you ought to believe it._

_I believe, with all my heart and with all my soul, that I should __**help**__ you._

_You know, 'cause the moon told me so._

_Well you let me __**help**__?_

_I'm sorry if I sound weird._

_- Hiccup_

I think I've read the letter about fifteen times.

I think I've read it so many times that I can remember what it says without even looking.

I fold the paper up and put it in my back pocket and snuggle deeper into a warm, downy blanket. Aster must've put on me while I was sleeping.

It does smell like carrot cake after all.

I pull the duvet over my head and try to go back to sleep, try to keep myself from waking back up to read the small letter written by Awkward-Boy.

Aster is upstairs. He drops something and swears. The chimes in the backyard are ringing already.

I pull the letter back out and scrutinize it again.

I read the small letter written by Awkward-Boy.

I read the small letter written by Hiccup.

* * *

"…Yeah, I think so, too. But hey, let's do this: during the summer we could go to the Sugar Rush tournament and cheer Penelope on! I heard that they're finally letting her in this year!"

"Hm, I don't like leaving my house in the summer. I don't even like summer."

Rapunzel whines. "C'mon Jack, please? It'll be really fun!"

I sigh. "Sitting in the heat is not fun."

She pouts, kicks a pebble and sips at her strawberry milk in silence. When Aster had come back, I decided to leave. He told me to return later in the afternoon because Nicholas wanted to take Ana, Anderson, Aster and I to his workshop that's all the way uptown in the city.

After I left, I was on my way to my house, but then Rapunzel had rounded the corner in a light pink sundress with white sunglasses and a sunhat. Once she saw me, I knew I couldn't run. She'd just catch up.

Today her braid was adorned with carnations and lilies. She offers me some of her strawberry milk. I shake my head.

I don't know where we're walking, but if it's with Rapunzel, I don't care.

We pass the young man with chocolate brown hair again and this time he says in a smooth, smooth voice, "Hey Blondie."

At first Rapunzel blushes, coughs, stutters, but eventually she gathers herself and says, "Hello Eugene Fitzherbert."

Eugene _Fitzherbert_? I could've sworn it was Flynn Rider.

Eugene widens his eyes before he quickly glimpses at me. Some sort of playful smirk graces my lips and I say in a just as witty tone, "Eugene Fitzherbert, huh? Well, that doesn't sound lame at all compared to Flynn Rider."

My fingers twitch. I almost cover my mouth. Almost.

Rapunzel giggles and Eugene glares at the both of us. I glance away and smile at the street. The gray, gray street that is littered with a light dusting of spring flowers.

A flicker of something lights in my chest.

After giving our chuckling goodbyes to Eugene, Rapunzel and I do end up going somewhere. A lake.

She asks me if I want to take a swim with her. It's warm enough for the water to not be too cold and the canopy of trees that sit over the body of water make everything seem quiet, mystical, magical, like one of those forests in a fairy tale.

Like one of those forests that suck you in and never let you leave.

I feel a hand grab mine and Rapunzel is pulling me towards the lake. I snatch my hand away. She turns to me and has a discontent expression on her face.

"Jack, what's wrong?"

I frown. "We don't have bathing suits."

"We can just go in our underwear."

I flush. "The weatherman says that it'll rain today."

"A few days ago the weatherman said that it'd be sunny and bright, but instead there was a huge thunderstorm. It totally ruined the plans I had for painting the sunset." She huffs.

I remember the blinding cracks of lightening, the cries of grief that came from rumbling thunder. I remember small pieces of debris hitting my window.

"I can't swim."

Rapunzel blinks. "Really? You look like the type that'd know how to swim."

I stay silent. I'd never known how to swim. One time when I was ten-years-old, our class had taken a trip to the swimming pool. A boy had dunked me under the water and I thought that I was gonna die right then and there. So I flailed and kicked until that boy had let me go. I resurfaced and the water was clogging my ears. The only thing I could hear, could see, was him laughing in my face. So I punched him until the blood from his nose made the water red.

He wasn't laughing anymore.

Another time I had went with my friends to a hotel for my birthday party. There was a pool there and everyone had urged me to go. I said okay with a smile. I was happy because it was my birthday.

But then one of my friends pushed me in.

I knew that it was purely out of fun, but I started flailing and kicking again, afraid that I'd never get back to the top. But eventually my dad helped me and once I had gotten out of that pool, I screamed at my friend for pushing me in. I screamed at my dad for letting him.

I screamed at them all to go home.

At school they stopped talking to me, and for a long time I felt one thing that made my heart beat slowly, stomach churn nastily.

I felt lonely.

But Rapunzel grabs my hand again and that forlorn feeling subsides just a little bit. "I can teach you how to swim."

I blink. "Really? You don't look like the type that'd know how to swim." Rapunzel's voice is easy to mimic.

But she doesn't acknowledge the mockery. Instead she starts tugging me towards the lake again. "C'mon Jack, I won't let you drown! I'd never want to lose a fantastic person like you. Never, ever, ever."

I'm not too fond of warmth, never have been. But the sweet heat that came from Rapunzel's comment has made me warm all over. So I let her pull me to the tarn and I'm not joking when I say that I could've sworn I saw a black cat with piercing green eyes stare at us from a thick brown tree trunk.

When I turn to look at the tree, nothing was there.

* * *

The water was cold, my boxers stuck to my bottom. The water is up to my chest and I shiver. The canopy keeps little sunlight from getting down here.

Sitting close to the edge of the water is a discarded sundress, sunhat and sunglasses, frogs jumping around the carnations and lilies. Next to that is a blue t-shirt, gray sweatpants and black converse. We stripped down without looking at each other.

Rapunzel dives under and her braid is unraveling, becoming undone by the water. When she comes back up, she's in the middle of the lake. The only things visible are her nose and hair. The bangs completely cover her bright green eyes. She blindly starts to swim towards me and I move out of the way. Once Rapunzel is in the spot I was in, she reaches around and about, trying to find me. I'm already halfway on the opposite side of the lake.

I spot green eyes that weren't Rapunzel's out of my peripheral vision. I twist and turn, looking for those green eyes that weren't Rapunzel's. I had a hunch of who they belonged to, but why would he be here?

Then I hear a twig snap and leaves crunch under running feet and shadows on the trees.

Rapunzel resurfaces from the water and I know I can't ask her if she heard anything. Though she does swim towards me and, eventually, lunges at me. She holds my arms in a firm grip. We both go underwater and I almost start flailing and kicking, but I don't want to look crazy and accidentally hurt Rapunzel so I keep still and open my eyes.

Her eyes are open too and those beautiful green orbs gleam a bright turquoise under the cool water. I wonder what color my eyes shine.

When we come back up Rapunzel smiles at me. She's still holding my arms.

I, too, smile at her wet face, her wet hair.

* * *

By the time we got out of the lake, it had started raining. Rapunzel pouts at my smug face and puts her hat back on, her dress back on. She leaves the sunglasses off and needs help putting the flowers back in her braid. I stick them in random places and she slips her feet into her sandals.

We exit the area and find ourselves staring at a downpour.

Rapunzel scratches her arm. "We could run."

I raise an eyebrow. "Or we could just walk reeeaaally slowly and expect ourselves not to get drenched." I turn to Rapunzel to see how she reacts to my sarcasm.

I thought that she'd be pouting even more than she was before. But instead, she was smiling. And the smile was so big, so bright.

Her smile lights up the mystical forest.

I jokingly covered my face in means of protection from the blinding beam. Rapunzel gives me a lighthearted shove and I offer to walk her home.

But we're not walking. We're running through an April shower, tripping over cracks in the sidewalk, chuckling like crazy. It seems like only seconds have passed before we've finally stopped in front of Rapunzel's big house.

We stand on her porch and she hugs me, hugs me longer than usual. I spot Pascal watching us in the window. The flowers on her lawn shake as the rain falls onto the colorful petals.

It smells like warm strawberries.

I spot Eric watching Ariel dance in the rain with a smile.

I spot Linguini running home with his hands cupping something big and furry.

I spot Ralph and Penelope sharing an umbrella as they saunter down the sidewalk, large bags of candy under their arms.

Rapunzel lets me go and says, "Bye, Jack."

I almost couldn't hear her because the rain was so loud as it fell onto the Earth. "Bye, Punzie."

Her cheeks must be hurting from how much she's smiling. She releases me and goes into her home. I never want to leave, but I do anyway.

And this time, when I feel green eyes watching me as I run home, I know that this time, this time, they belong to Rapunzel.

* * *

I scrubbed at my body, scrubbed at my scalp. No matter what I try to wash it out with, the white just won't leave.

The glossy white that resembled the beauty of fresh snow.

Sometimes I look at my hair and forget what color it originally was. But then when I try to remember, an image of my family when I was fifteen and my little sister was six laughing at the hair salon would come up and I'd shake my head to remove the picture, remove the pain.

I finish my shower after countless attempts of trying to wash the white out and wrap my towel around me. A cold chill hits me as soon as I step out the bathroom. When I walk into my bedroom, my phone vibrates.

A message from Aster.

I type my password in and read the white letters on the bright screen.

**From: Asster the Ass**

**I hope you're almost ready slowpoke. -_-**

**We'll be there to pick you up in about five minutes.**

**Sent: Mon, March 25 4:05 pm**

I quickly start opening my drawers, phone in hand. I type a message while getting out clothes.

**From: Frosty**

**please Cottontail. If anything YOURE the slowpoke. I hope youre not driving it's like a freaking snail has taken over the wheel. Penelope can drive faster than you.**

**five minutes? jeez gimme some time to do my hair n stuff**

**Sent: Mon, March 25 4:05 pm**

I put my phone down and grab a clean pair of boxers, dark jeans and a t-shirt. I clothe myself and throw on a midnight blue sweater that Mabel knit for me over the summer. The front read "Cool Dude" in white, cursive. There was also a snowman wearing hipster glasses at the bottom, his stick arms behind his head, his rocky mouth in a sly grin. A chuckle gets caught in my throat. I already know Aster will have some smartass comments about it, too. I already know.

My phone vibrates again. Speak of the devil.

**From: Asster the Ass**

**Don't ever call me Cottontail again, Frost. You know I hate that name.**

**And no, I'm not driving, sorry to disappoint you, mate. Nicholas is driving. God save us all…**

**And make that three minutes. I'm sorry but if you're going to walk around looking like Justin Bieber then unfortunately I'm going to have to cut your hairdressing time.**

**You better be ready by the time I get there, Frostbutt.**

**Sent: Mon, March 25 4:09 pm**

I smile. While I think over the next comment I'll send him, I lace up my sneakers. I walk over to my dresser and find my wallet and keys. I take both items and my phone and head to the bathroom. On my way there, the doorbell rings. I suck my teeth. If that's Aster, then he's gonna have to stand out there. I told his hairy ass to wait, damn it!

I go down the steps and walk across a carpet with icy floral designs. The living room smells like pear and passion flower.

Just yesterday it had smelled like salty tears and something else.

I open the door and no one is there. Though when I look down, I spot a note and an iris. I pick them both up and open the letter. Once again I am greeted with neat handwriting.

_Jack,_

_Belle's Books._

_Tonight._

_Be there._

_I need your __**help**__ with something._

_- Hiccup_

I swallow. What the hell? Why is Awk-

Why is Hiccup sending these weird letters to me? How does he even know my address? I look up. I recognize Ana's home on the left of mine, then Anderson's place, Penelope's home…

On the right of my residence there's the Parr family's house and then Linguini lives there next to them…

Across the street sitting right next to Tulio and Miguel's shared abode is a brown house. I sometimes see a large man walking out in the morning with a weird look on his face, like he's smelled something bad. I'm guessing that that's Hiccup's house. But I'm not completely sure because I've never seen Hiccup actually leave or go into the house.

Maybe that is where Hiccup lives.

Maybe he saw me running home in the rain.

I pocket the note and put the iris on a small end table.

I close the front door and run upstairs to the bathroom. I go in and look at myself in the mirror. My eyes pierce the glass like a shard of ice, my hair defies gravity as it gradually begins to stick up from being dry. I think I see a little bit of brown at the roots.

I brush my teeth, wash my face and grab a thick piece of white hair chalk and start coloring the russet. This'll have to do for now.

My phone vibrates in my back pocket.

**From: Asster the Ass**

**We're here. Come outside. **

**Sent: Mon, March 25 4:38 pm**

_**acacia**_

**From: Frosty**

**Damn the last time I sent a message was 4:09 now it's 4:38. You must be driving :P**

**Sent: Mon, March 25 4:38 Pm**

_**acacia**_

**From: Asster the Ass**

**Shut up! **

**I had to put Thumper to sleep before I left out as well as tend to the Baby's Breath.**

**Sent: Mon, March 25 4:40 Pm**

_**acacia**_

**From: Frosty**

**wtf is baby's breath**

**Sent: Mon, March 25 4:40 Pm**

_**acacia**_

**From: Asster the Ass**

**It's a flower dumbass.**

**Sent: Mon, March 25 4:41 Pm**

_**acacia**_

**From: Frosty**

**oh yea sometimes i forget that old women like you work on their gardens so that they wont feel so lonely. i'm surprised you havent gotten in heat yet Cottontail. Try to pick some ladies up in the city would ya?**

**Sent: Mon, March 25 4:41 Pm**

_**acacia**_

**From: Asster the Ass**

**I'm gonna murder you, Frost.**

**Sent: Mon, March 25 4:42 Pm**

_**acacia**_

**From: Frosty**

**Id like to see you try Cottontail**

**Sent: Mon, March 25 4:42 Pm**

_**acacia**_

**From: Asster the Ass**

…

**Nice sweater "cool dude".**

**Sent: Mon, March 25 4:42 Pm**

_**acacia**_

**From: Frosty**

**i knew you'd love it :-P**

**Sent: Mon, March 25 4:42 Pm**

_**acacia**_

**From: Asster the Ass**

**Just get in the car already.**

**Sent: Mon, March 25 4:43 Pm**

* * *

I twitched at the feeling of fingers invading my mouth, touching my teeth. Without gloves on.

"Ana. Ana! Hands out of mouth!"

"Oh! Sorry!" She pats my cheek. "They're beautiful, Jack. Keep up the good work!"

I awkwardly smile and nod. Ana was a really nice gal. You know, when she wasn't sticking her fingers in your mouth, trying to see if you've been brushing your teeth regularly. And flossing.

Sometimes we called her Tooth 'cause she was so obsessed with them.

Ana was born in Southeast Asia and had moved to America sometime ago to live her dream of becoming a dentist and to run a dentistry called The Tooth Palace. It'd be a damn lie to say that she wasn't successful in doing that. She had so much money, yet she lived in this small, small neighborhood with us. She could've lived in a really big house somewhere on a rolling hill instead. But she said that she never wanted to be away from us sweethearts.

She was perky. Very, very perky.

She talked a lot, but not enough to blow my ears off. She was always answering phone calls and speaking quickly to the person on the other line. She breathed rapidly, almost as if her heart was moving at a faster than light pace. You would think that she was hyperventilating.

I looked out the window. There were buildings all around, girls with big shades holding coffee cups and boys with graphic t-shirts holding skateboards. I saw Tabitha, one of the girls that Penelope said usually harassed her at school. I gave the girl a glare but she was too busy smearing pink lip gloss on her lips to actually notice me.

The car is somewhat cramped and Ana is still talking on her phone in the passenger seat. Nicholas drives faster than the speed limit and floors it every time the light tells him to go. He laughs at Aster's complaints and guffaws when he's told to slow down, guffaws like it's a funny joke. Anderson is always woken up by a bump in the road. He doesn't get frustrated, he simply smiles in pleasantness. After some time Aster and Nicholas begin to bicker, one serious and the other playful.

It seems like a long time before we've pulled up to the large workshop.

Everyone jumps out of the car and stretches. I see girls looking at me out of the corner of my eye. They giggle and whisper to each other. One twirls her hair and another tries to look demure. I don't know what to think, what to say. Anderson smiles up at me with a cheeky grin. I roll my eyes and chuckle under my breath.

We walk inside Nicholas's workshop and it's still as loud and busy as it's always been. Toy airplanes fly around and plastic castles are being worked on. The workers are smiling, laughing with each other as they operate on the playthings. Some act dramatic when they've done something wrong, others act even more dramatic when they bump into each other and drop an item or two. At least they don't get into fights with each other. That's good. Aster says at least they don't let small things get in the way of them finishing their work.

That's good too.

* * *

It is quiet on the opposite side of Nicholas's workshop.

We sit down at a large, round, wooden table. Ana wipes at her plum-colored shirt and Aster frowns, his eyebrows drawn in. Probably still mad at Nicholas because of his driving habits, I guess. Anderson sits with his eyes closed, his hands folded in his lap. No one speaks as Nicholas bustles around in the kitchen, questionable smells wafting from the steaming food. I look around the dining room and see an uneaten fruit cake inside a glass dome. Ugh, who even eats that?

Suddenly Nicholas bursts into the room with a platter of bowls and cups. For a moment Aster looks anxious that everything will fall but that expression is quickly hidden when the old man makes it to the table without having anything topple over and spilled onto the floor.

He gives each of us a colorful bowl and a cup filled with a mysterious beverage. Before he puts a cup down in front of me, he squints his eyes and says, "You are eighteen, correct?"

I nod.

Nicholas smiles and places the cup before me. I pick it up and smell it. My eyebrows rise some as the aroma of alcohol wafts up my nose. I look around and Nicholas is smiling at me. Aster is glaring at me with a face that says don't drink it.

Nicholas sits and yells, "Now, we eat!"

I pick my spoon up and dip it into the soup, poking at the meat that floated around in the brown substance. "Um, and this is…?"

"Shchi!" Ana squeaked. "They serve this stuff all the time in Russia!"

Nicholas nods as he digs into his already half empty bowl. Anderson sips slowly and smiles when each spoonful goes into his mouth. Aster's eyebrows are still drawn in while he eats and Ana takes a big gulp of her drink between each bite.

I'm the only one not eating. I haven't eaten anything today, but I'm not hungry. I also threw up everything in my stomach last night so I should definitely be starving. But I just can't pick up the spoon and eat. It feels difficult.

I feel a light kick on my leg. I look up and Anderson is staring at me with light brown eyes of concern. I smile softly, awkwardly, and shake my head.

_I'm fine._

Anderson is still looking at me, even when Nicholas laughs heartily and sits back in his chair, rubbing his tummy. "That was delicious! Tell me friends, it was delicious, yes?"

Ana says, "Best thing I've ever tasted!"

Aster says, "It was okay. Wait, you're finished already?!"

Anderson isn't looking at me anymore when he smiles and nods. I don't say anything. I push my bowl away.

Nicholas doesn't see me do it. "So, Jack," he puts both elbows onto the table and leans in like a schoolgirl wanting the latest gossip, "how have you been? Are you doing well? Making friends? Are you still…?"

Three pairs of eyes focus on me (Aster is looking at the table) and now I have to answer questions people have been too afraid to ask me. Why were they afraid though? Scared that I might burst, break, burn?

How am I doing? Fine. Just fine. For the whole beginning of this year, I've been getting awkward looks from my neighbors, notes from this weird guy who writes really well, sassy comments from a great red yeti and big, bright smiles from a girl that I've got a boyish crush on. Oh and let's not forget the girls that always gawk at me, the looks that make me want to vomit, the plastic, sympathetic tones I get from people I don't even know. Overhearing individuals say things like _oh I know what he's going through _or _poor guy, he must have it rough _or _I feel for him_.

You don't know what I'm going through. I obviously have it rough. Why wouldn't I have it rough? You don't feel anything but pity, nothing but false empathy.

You tell me you feel everything, but those words mean nothing.

I look down at my hands and I'm gripping the spoon so hard that my knuckles are white.

I know that that's what I want to say, that that is what I feel I should say. But instead, it comes out as, "Yeah, I'm doing good." A forced smile. "And yeah, I've made a few friends."

A few? More like only _a_ friend: Rapunzel.

"And no," I shift in my seat, "I'm not that… depressed anymore." I didn't even know if that was a lie or not. It's like sometimes I feel emotionless and bleak, but then other times there are flickers in my chest and the world begins to seem brighter.

Ana smiles. Anderson and Aster both look a bit perplexed. Nicholas buys it. "Wonderful, Jack! Absolutely wonderful!" He sighs happily. "I would like to see that mischievous smirk on your face again. It fits you. It fits you more than the sad frowny-face."

Ana nods and says, "Remember what I said about smiling, Jack. It doesn't matter how fake it is, it'll still bring true happiness."

When she says that, I remember some of the little quotes and tips and things that Ana would say to me whenever I came over to bring food for Baby Tooth. I look at the spoon in my hand. A smile fits me more than a frowny-face. Fake smiling brings true happiness. I guess that no more frowny-faces and more fake smiling brings true happiness.

I close my eyes.

No more frowny-faces.

* * *

I feel heavy as I strip myself of my clothing. The sweater feels itchy and the jeans constricting. I throw my sneakers into the closet and hop into the bed ungracefully. I wrap myself in the blue blankets and close my eyes when I'm done.

I let Ana's soft violins lull me to sleep as I think about today. I was so content while I spent time with Rapunzel. After that, the happiness stayed for a bit. Then my attitude started turning sour again.

I curl up tighter in the blankets that were so, so warm.

Maybe tomorrow I'll see Rapunzel again or Merida walking down the sidewalk with a duffel bag on her shoulder. Maybe I'll even get another letter from Hiccup. What it'll be about this time, I don't know. Hopefully nothing creepy.

I sit in the silence of my home, violins in the background acting as a lullaby. I should sleep more often. It's actually one of the only things that make me feel-

Hiccup.

My eyes shoot open and I sit up real fast. I look over at my jeans and I see a piece of paper sliding out the back pocket.

I curse and untangle myself out of the blankets. The first thing I do is grab my clothes and the note. While running down the hallway I hurriedly slide into my jeans and slip on the sweater. How could I forget about Awkward-Boy?

How could I forget about Hiccup?

I dash outside barefoot and see Penelope. She's putting something red and white into the trees outside her home. When she sees me she yells, "Hey Frost! Where ya headed?"

I shout, "To the library!"

She laughs, "Well that's a first!"

I'm halfway down the block when I yell back, "Yeah whatever, keep talkin'!"

She's still laughing behind me. It's better when Penelope laughs. You'd think that when she did, she'd twitch, choke and die. But I suspect that her new heart will stop that from happening. Ralph, Felix and Calhoun will stop that from happening.

We'll all stop that from happening.

* * *

I will never, ever run on the sidewalk without shoes ever again. Especially after a storm.

So far I've stepped in mud, dirty puddles and dog poop. Probably from one of those Dalmatians that live down the street. I saw Merida and she called to me, asked me where I was going. I told her to the library. She laughed and snorted and dropped her duffel bag and held her stomach. Then I rushed pass her and she yelled, "You? Goin' to the library? I don't even know you all that much but I know that that sounds wrong!" Her voice fades as I go farther down the sidewalk.

Why do people think that me going to the library is such a big deal? I read! Well, not in my free time…

I get to the library and its magnificence never ceases to amaze me. The windows are those colorful stained glass ones and the outside walls are painted a deep blue with golden accents. Over top of the door the sign reads "Belle's Books" in lavender cursive. The words are still glowing and the chandeliers on the inside haven't gone out either. As I pass the first window I look inside and sure enough Belle is sitting at the front desk reading a book. I tap on the glass and she doesn't look up. The second time I tap harder and she does look up, startled. But when she sees me she smiles a warm smile and waves. I wave back.

That's when my legs collide with a bench. I look down at the wooded seat and back to Belle. She's giggling behind a royal purple hardcover. I smile, shake my head and begin to walk pass the bench.

But I don't get very far because I feel green eyes boring into my body, glimpsing at my soul.

I look back down at the bench and Hiccup is sitting there, a black cat in his arms. The cat's eyes turn into threatening slits and hisses loudly at me. I haven't even done anything.

"H-hi Jack…"

I nod. "Hey."

There is silence, save for the feline's menacing hisses and growls, and I'm wondering in my head what in the hell this guy is even going to say to me.

"You know I was just about to leave."

I scratch the back of my head. "Yeah sorry about that. I kind of forgot you."

He turns to look at a stray cat that's crossing that street. "That much wasn't hard to figure out…"

Well okay then. I stick my hands in my pockets as I watch the moths that fly around a streetlamp. There's more silence.

"Jack, I need your help."

"I figured since every time you sent a letter you darkened the word. You even put arrows in the last letter." I shift my feet around because I thought I felt something crawling on them. "What's up?" When he stays silent, I sigh. I can't exactly help him if he's not going to tell me what's wrong. I look down the street and see Jasmine and Aladdin sneakily jogging down the street with a tiger and a monkey. When they see me and Hiccup they stop right in their tracks. My eyebrows lift up.

_Sneaking animals out of the zoo again?_

Aladdin flashes a wide grin and a big thumbs up and hops a fence, monkey in his arms. Jasmine puts her hands together in a begging motion and I zip my lips shut, throwing away the key. She smiles warmly and jumps the same fence, the huge orange tiger in tow.

"Um…" I look up and Belle is standing there, gazing at where Aladdin and Jasmine just were. The lights in the library are off and she has that same royal purple hardcover in her hands. "Did I just see a tiger hop the fence?"

I nod. "Yes, yes you did. But don't tell anyone, alright?"

She puts her thumb on her chin, thinking. "Hm, I'm assuming that must've been Jasmine and her boyfriend. Alfred was his name?"

I shake my head. "Aladdin."

She ahs and turns to us and says, "Now I don't want either of you staying out here too late, understand?"

Before I can say something, Hiccup interjects. "Yes, we understand. We won't be here all night, Belle."

She smiles and, after seeing a flash of orange down the sidewalk, hesitatingly crosses the street. I wonder where her husband is.

When Belle disappears into the dark shadows of the sidewalk's lane, it's complete silent again. There are few cars that pass by and usually everyone would be asleep by now. The moon is smirking and the clouds look like cotton candy against the violet sky. A slow breeze rustles the leaves on the trees and a flyer slides down the street. I start to drift off to sleep.

My mind is hazy as my reverie explodes with stars in a snowy sanctuary. The diamonds in the dark sky shine on the white snow. In my dream, I stand and walk, walk until I reach a grassy and flower-filled expanse. I see Rapunzel. She spots me, smiles, waves, walks over, holds my hand. I beam and we continue walking, walking, until we reach a sunny glade. I have to shade my eyes from the shining sun as I see Merida. She spots me, sticks her tongue out, stomps over and holds Rapunzel's hand. She grins at me as I roll my eyes. Rapunzel giggles as we continue walking, walking until we reach a red and orange forest. I have to peer up into the trees to see Hiccup resting on a large branch. Merida throws a rock and Hiccup yelps, jumping down, yelling, "What did you do that for?"

Merida just shrugs. Hiccup sighs, scratches the back of his head, walks over, grabs my hand. I smile as we all continue walking, walking, walking... We went everywhere and nowhere.

Dream Rapunzel stops and whispers, _"Sed mutor in mortem_. _I think that can go for all of us, right?"_

Merida and Hiccup nodded. I was at a loss. _"Wait, what does sed mutor in mortem mean?" _I had trouble pronouncing the Latin.

None of them answer me. They all just look up to the moon.

I wouldn't be able to tell what happened next because Hiccup was shaking me awake. "Jack? You didn't fall asleep did you?" I hear the cat growl at that. "Toothless stop it..."

I open my eyes and Hiccup is looking at me, his expression containing irritation, hurt and something else. My eyes feel baggy as I check the time on my phone. 10:49. I would've been in a deep slumber by now.

"Jack."

I turn to the brunette. "Hiccup?" _What's so important? What's wrong? Why the letters? Why the stares?_

_Why do you need me?_

He shifts in his seat and his next few words made me feel as if I were drowning in a secret well of snow and stars.

"I think that the moon is trying to kill me."

* * *

**Please contact me if you see any big mistakes!**

_Again, thank you all for the reviews! __Part two is coming very soon. The story will be having plenty more surprises in the following chapters. More action as well. That big dumb meanie moon trying to hurt Hiccup *crosses arms*. He should be punished!_

_Acacia is flower language for 'secret love'. _

_Sed mutor in mortem - I change but in death._


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